Bricklayers' wages hit £25 per hour amid skills shortage in the UK

Wages for bricklayers have hit £25 per hour in some parts of the UK, according to a new survey of construction recruitment firms.

63 per cent of those surveyed reported that they had seen a rise in demand for temporary construction workers, and as demand increases so does pay.

“If you work in construction you can expect to be earning £34 a week more than last year, and our data indicates that some employers are increasing pay faster as the competition for skilled workers intensifies,” said Kevin Green, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s chief executive.

Risk to Businesses

However, things look rather different for those employing these tradesmen and women. This shortage of skilled workers is considered one of the main risks to business, the study found, with vacancies for bricklayers being particularly hard to fill.

“Whilst this is great news for builders and tradesmen, there are hard questions that need to be asked about the sustainability of this trend. The UK is close to full employment and building firms are already struggling to find the people needed for major infrastructure projects.” Green added.

Bricklaying and Brexit

Though most tradespeople are keen on leaving the EU - or at least according to our recent Brexit poll - Green believes that ultimately it will be damaging to businesses and, as a knock on effect, the UK economy.

“If Britain leaves the EU there’s no doubt that recruitment for some construction roles will become even more of a challenge,” he said.

“Whatever the outcome of the EU referendum we need to address deep-seated skills shortages. That means more apprenticeships, greater investment in skills development by employers, better careers guidance in schools, and more work experience opportunities so that young people are shown the potential benefits of a career in construction.”

Becoming a bricklayer

So has all this made you think that the best money to be made is in bricklaying? If you’re thinking of switching career then, as Green suggests, the best way to break into the industry is through an apprenticeship.